Miss USA has crowned its 2026 winner.
After a tight race at this year's annual pageant, Miss Virginia Justus Kelley was bestowed the Miss USA honor on Thursday, Aug. 27, in Miami.
Last year's Miss USA winner, Nebraska's Audrey Eckert, passed the crown to Kelley, who celebrated her win with a spin on the pageant stage as she showed off her bouquet and sparkling tiara. Moments before a winner was declared, Eckert concluded her reign with two accidental tumbles on stage, prompting a standing ovation from the crowd.
Miss Florida Aileen Cerchiara was the first runner-up and will take Kelley's place in the Miss Universe pageant if she is unable to.
Kelley's win was notably special this year as the Miss USA organization also celebrated its 75th Diamond
Anniversary with a corresponding "75 Years of Icons" pageant theme.
"For 75 years, the organization has showcased dynamic, accomplished women who reflect the confidence, diversity and ambition of modern America," the website reads.
Who is Miss USA 2026?
Kelley, 31, is from Arlington, Virginia. She is the fifth Miss Virginia to win the national crown and will head to San Juan, Puerto Rico, in November to compete for Miss Universe title.
Kelley has a bachelor's degree in community health and a master's in public health administration from Indiana University. In addition to her work as an adviser at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, she continues philanthropic efforts as the founder of Foster Footprints, an organization that supports foster youth in the DMV area.
She and her husband have been licensed foster parents in the Commonwealth of Virginia for almost two years, according to People.
"I married my college sweetheart, who shared with me on one of our very first dates that he, too, dreamed of fostering someday. Thirteen years later, we have welcomed children ranging from 7 months to 10 years old into our home," she told the outlet.
Why the Miss USA pageant didn't air on TV in 2026
This year, the Miss USA pageant was streamed on the Queen Beauty Network instead of airing on The CW. A week before both the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageants, The CW announced that it would no longer air the event as originally planned.
"After careful consideration and conversations with the Miss USA Organization, The CW Network has decided to forego next week’s broadcasts of the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageants," the network said in a statement shared with USA TODAY. "We wish the organization and all of this year’s contestants well in the competition."
In a follow-up statement to USA TODAY on Aug. 21, Miss USA Organization said it is "so excited" for its ongoing partnership with Queen Beauty Network. The organization also shared an additional statement on its Instagram Stories saying it had identified a "contractual issue" with its production arrangements that could not be resolved in time.
"Since then, our team has worked diligently to explore options that would allow us to continue with a live broadcast on The CW. Unfortunately, we were unable to reach mutually agreeable terms for this year’s event," the statement read. "While The CW will not be carrying a live broadcast of Miss USA this year, we are grateful for our relationship with the network and remain open to opportunities to work together in the future."
The streaming conversation wasn't the only drama the Miss USA Organization faced ahead of the Aug. 27 pageant.
Just weeks after being crowned Miss North Carolina USA, Brittany Boltinhouse was stripped of her title. A Blaize Productions, which holds the state license for the Miss North Carolina USA pageant, said in asocial media statement on Aug. 5 that the decision "followed a thorough review of recently surfaced information" that did not align with the "integrity of the Miss North Carolina USA title and values of [its] organization."
Thom Brodeur, CEO of Miss USA, also confirmed Boltinhouse's exit in a statement, which in part said that the organization "does not tolerate racism, homophobia, transphobia nor language that strips any person of their dignity."
Later in the statement, Brodeur announced that first runner-up Myla Hadley would assume the title of Miss North Carolina, previously held by Boltinhouse, and compete in the Miss USA pageant.
Since losing her title, Boltinhouse has filed a lawsuit against the beauty pageant and its organizers, alleging that they caused "excruciating reputational destruction" to her image.
Contributing: Melina Khan and Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Miss USA 2026 is crowned. See who became the pageant's 75th winner
